China auto sales seen surpassing US in January

China likely overtook the U.S. in vehicle sales for the first time last month, a trend that could make China into the world’s largest auto market this year.

Official data for China’s auto sales in January will not be out until next week. But they are expected to show sales at about 790,000 units for the month, Zhang Xin, an analyst at Guotai Junan Securities in Beijing, said Wednesday.


In the U.S., meanwhile, auto sales in January tumbled 37 percent to 656,976 vehicles, the lowest monthly level in 26 years.

“This is the first time in history that China has passed the United States in monthly sales,” Mike DiGiovanni, General Motors Corp.’s executive director of global market and industry analysis, said in a conference call late Tuesday.

AP